Katie and Paul :: Southern Wedding in Monroeville, AL

Before their Friday night rehearsal dinner, I had met Katie a few times and I met Paul for their engagement session, but listening to their friends and family’s toasts made me feel like I was getting to know them on a whole new level. May not Paul though, since after his groomsmen’s toasts I am even less sure of anything except that Paul’s whole family really is Canadian. And that one of his friends plays Magic the Gathering. But either way I was overwhelmed with the love that this group of people had for each other and for Paul and Katie. It seemed like getting the two of them together was a group effort, and I love how perfectly it seems to have worked out. Katie absolutely glows when she’s around Paul, and I can tell he’s all about her as well. And yes, I cried.

Katie and Paul had an earlier ceremony on Saturday and were headed off early on Sunday for Hawaii, so they hired a band for an afterparty after the rehearsal dinner. The band, 2nd Coming, was awesome, and it definitely felt like I was shooting the reception a night early, which was really fun. Two of the guests included Emily and Matt, a couple I’d had the chance to shoot as an assistant for their engagement session a few years back, and it was so nice to run into them again.
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I love that the photo of the alarm clock from our hotel room just before we left makes this post feel like Groundhog Day, because in a lot of ways it did feel like a repeat wedding day. It was an early morning for everyone, and Katie admitted that she’d hardly slept. Being there for their first look was incredible. The main objective of the day was to get to the part where Katie and Paul would be declared husband and wife (I know it always is, or should be, but everything else that day was just extra, you could just tell).

I love that Paul’s checking his watch here.

Despite a few rainy patches throughout the reception everything was Southern splendor, The Woodlands, a plantation home about 15 minutes outside of Monroeville was the perfect setting. The house was gorgeous, the food was delicious, everything was green and lovely, and I think the rain just made it feel even more wonderfully surreal.

Real Southern Sweet Tea with Peaches (there was a card to let any non-Southerners know), and Mint Julep Sweet Tea.

Congratulations to Katie and Paul, I had an amazing time and I feel so grateful to have been part of such a beautiful weekend! I know you’ve got many years of happiness ahead!